The Haryana Government on Monday issued orders closing of all schools in Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonipat, and Jhajjar till November 17, 2021, in wake of the pollution situation in Delhi-NCR. Schools in Delhi have been shut for a week and construction and demolition activities have also been banned.
The Supreme Court on Monday directed the centre to decide on the measures like stopping non-essential construction transport, power plants and implementing work from home. The Delhi government told the apex court that it is ready to go for a complete lockdown to control local emissions.
It is all known knowledge that the Air Quality Index (AQI) in and around Delhi has worsened to 470-499 on a scale of 500 and it will have serious effects on health.
A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana said, “Construction activity, industry, transportation, power, and vehicular traffic, as well as stubble burning in some areas, are the principal sources of pollution, according to the affidavit filed by respondents. The Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Act has made some decisions, it has not said exactly what steps it will take to control causes that cause air pollution.”
The bench also said that “As a result, we direct the Indian government to convene an emergency meeting tomorrow to consider the issues we’ve raised and what orders they can issue to effectively manage air pollution. In terms of stubble burning, affidavits generally claim that their impact is minimal, except for two months. However, there is a lot of stubble burning going on right now in Haryana and Punjab.”